Before teaming up for the Washington men's basketball team next season, high-school players Darin Johnson and Jahmel Taylor will share the court during the inaugural West Coast All-Star Classic in Kent.

For Johnson, a four-star prospect from Sacramento, Calif., Saturday night's charity game is a chance to build early rapport with a soon-to-be teammate.

"We've never played together before, so I'm looking forward to getting out there on the floor with him," Johnson said. "You can learn something and pick up things from every experience and this is no different."

Taylor, a three-star prospect from Los Angeles, hopes to give Huskies fans a glimpse of what they may see next season.

"It's a game to show people something to look forward to in the future," he said. "If I play my game, then I hope they come away thinking things will look good in the future at Washington."

Rainier Beach boys basketball coach Mike Bethea, who helped organize the classic, said one purpose of the game is to "identify the stars of tomorrow."

"We wanted to bring a high-level all-star game to the West Coast," he said. "There's not really one out there. Everything is in the Midwest or in the East. Our kids sometimes get picked, but they have to go way out there.

"We've never had a chance to bring something like this out here to recognize our kids in this area."

Johnson and Taylor are two of 22 players in the 6 p.m. game at the ShoWare Center.

"I know a couple of guys like Jahmel and Zach LaVine, so there's some good talent out there," Johnson said. "You can't treat it like a real game because it's not, but you want to go out, compete and put on a show."